Pump-priming apparatus and process



ELAESQ SH;

L. ANTONSANTI. PUMP PRWHNG APPARATUS AND PROCESS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 22,192!- Patented 0%..351922 F a l9 //8 2 9 ifl Z r i n Wet, n,

lE'UfillP-WRIIETNG lildl'] hpplication rues 13111 To all whom may concern:

- lde it lnnown that l, Louis AN'roNsANrr, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Ponce, Porto Rico, have invented certain new and -useful improvements in Pump Priming Apparatus and Processes, of which I the following is a specification.

I may be primed without the use of an auxiliary hand pump or piston pump and also without the use of foot valvesl My invention. is particularly adapted for use 'in primingcentrifugal pumps when the latter are operating in connection with a series of wells since the usual devices used in priming suchpumps may not readily be used in all instances when wells are to be pumped. My invention is, of course, however, not limited in its applicability to pumping from wells. Y a v My invention briefly consists in the provision of a chamber or tanlr from whichthe may be exhausted to a sui'licient extent. 1V hen the pump is to be primed, thisqacuum. chamber is connected to the discharge side of the pump. lhe discharge line being closed at a point beyond the'connedtion referred to, the vacuum in the chamber will tion between' the discharge side of the pumpcause all of the air in the pumpcasing'and in the suction line to flow into the chamber, the water following the air into the pump casing, to prime the pump. WVith this sys tem it is, of course, necessary to have the chamber referred to sufficiently great in capacity so that when it has been suiiiciently "exhausted, all 01"- the air in the pump and suction line will flow into the chamber.

With this system, the chamber referred to may be sutliciently exhausted by connecting the same to the suction side of the pump when the pump is in operation, the connecand the chamber being closed at this time. The chamber willthen beexhausted to a suificient extent as indicated by the reading of a gauge mounted on the chamber.- When this point'has been reached, the connection between the chamber and the suction line is closed sothat the vacuum will be maintained until it is needed, the chamber being en tireiy disconnected from the pumping sysnot on, non o race.

rear, tile rial its. llltifild.

tern. l/Vhen the pump has lost its priming at any time it is merely necessary to connect the discharge side of the pump with the chamber as stated, untilthe pump is primed and after the pump has again started operatmg, the chamber may again be exhausted to the proper point and again disconnected. In order-that the invention ma be more clearly understood, attention is hereby dirented to the accompanying drawin i'ormmg part of this application and illustrating certain forms of apparatus included within my invention.- In the drawing, Fig. 1 rep resents a side elevation of one form of apparatus comprising my invention, and by which my improved process may be 'prac' tised; Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of connections between the pump shown in Fig. 1 and a series of wells from which water is to be pumped; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of my apparatus in which a plurality of vacuum chambers pr vessels are used.

. Referring to the drawing the pump 1, which may be a centrifugal or other term of rotary pump, is connected to a. suction line 2 through which water may be drawn from a well indicated at 3. 'lhe discharge line 4% leads from the pump to'any point at which water is to be delivered. The suction line 2'is provided with a suitable valve 5 and the discharge line iis provided with'a valve 6 which may be the customary check valve. A gate valve 7 may be used in the discharge pipe line beyond check valve 6' if desired.

The closed; chamber which is used in my invention is indicated at 8, this preferably Q be ng positioned at a higher level than pump at l. A pipeconnection 9, provided with valve 10, extends from the suction line 2 of the pump to a connection with chamber 8, I preferably at the bottom of the chamber. The discharge line h, is also connected by a pipe 11 with chamber 8, preferably at the bottom of the'latter, this connection 11 being provided with a valve 12. A pipe connection13, provided with a valve ll, may also be used if desired to connect the discharge line 4: with tanlr 8 at a point somewhat above the bottom of chamber 8. The chamber is provided with a pipe connection 15 adjacent to the upper end, this connection beingcontrolled by a valve l-o. A. vacuum gauge 17 is indicated at the top of the chamber.

it will be understood that the pump 1 and Y pump 1.

chamber 8 used in connection therewith, may be connected to draw water from a series of wells. In Fig. 2 I have indicated four wells, A, B, C, and D, whichmay be connected through 'the suction pipe 2' to the In Fig. 1, I have indicated a T connection 18 in the suction line 2 of the pump, it being understood that other wells than the well indicated at 3, may beconnected to the suction line through this .T connection.

When the pump 1 is in "operation and chamber 8 is to be exhausted,-valves 16 and 12 and 5 are closed and also valve 14 if the latter is used; V.;ilve is new opened and .water exhausted by'the pump from chamber 8 until a suitable vacuum is indicated by gauge 17 when" valve 10 is closed. When pump 1 is to be primed, it is only necessary to open valve 12 or valve 14 and valve 5 check valve 6 being closed and valve 10 still being closed. The degree of vacuum in chamber 8 having been properly calculated and the chamber beingof sufiicient capacity, the air in pump 1 and suction line 2 will flow through connection 11 of the tank, reducing the vacuum therein and causing the water in well 3 to rise and flow through pipe 2 into the pump casing, priming the pump.

' As a specific example showing the manner in which my invention maybe practiced, I may assume a series of four wells spaced 50 feet apart. Assuming that the pipe connection between the wells and the pipes extendingdown in the wells are six inches in diameter, the cubical contents of the pipe connections leading to the pump, the cubical contents of the pump itself, and a small portion of the pipe at the discharge end of the pump may be estimated as approximately 65 cubic feet of air. In this example, the vertical distance between the surface of the water in the wells and the center of the pump may I be considered as about 25 feet.

In order for the pump to be primed, this 65 cubic feet of air must be exhausted from the suction line and the pump, causing the water in the wells to take its place. cordingly, tank 8 must be sufliciently large, and must be exhausted to a sufficient extent to contain this 65 cubic feet of air. In the example cited, it may be assumed that tank 8 starts with 97 cubic feet of air contained in the upper portion of the same at atmospheric pressure and ,the lower portion of the chamber being filled with water. As a specific example, the tank may be about 56 feet high by 2% feet diameter, the height, however, not being important so lon --as the volume of the tank is properly calcu ated to be large enough for the desired purpose. Valve 16 is now closed,'valve 10 open, valves 12 and 5 being closed, and the air chamber 8will immediately begin to be exhausted. As stated, valve 5 must usually beclosed.

This process is continued until'the pressure in tank 8 is reduced to approximately 5.5 lbs. per square inch. Valve 10,isnow closed and the tank permitted to remain in this condition until it necessary to prime the pump. Chamber 8 now contains 260 cubic feet of air at 5.5 lbs. per square inch a small ortion of the tank at the bottom thereof, elow the dotted line indicated at 19, still preferably containing water.

If now the pump has beenstartedand lost its priming, valve 12 or valve 14 is opened, check valve 6 being closed. The vacuum in tank'8 will then cause the air in the suction line and the pump to enter the tank, the 260 cubic feet of air in the tank combining with the 65 cubic feet of air from the pump and suction line. The volume of air in the tank will remainthe same as before, but the pressure of the same will rise from 55 lbs. per square inch to approximately 9.2 lbs. per

square inch. As the 65 cubic feet of air'in the suction line enters the tank, water from the well or wells will flow through the suction line into the pump so that the latter will be primed and may then be started. The tank may now readily be, brought back into its initial condition, or into its partially exhausted condition in which the pressure therein is approximately 5.5 lbs. per square inch, by manipulation of, the valves as previously described. The degree of vacuum which may be obtained in tank 8 will depend upon the design of pump used. I have obtained a vacuum of over 26 inches of mercury with various makes of pump.

series of vessels connected together for the single tank or chamber 8. Thus, if the suction line is quite long o'rof considerable size a sin le chamber such as that shown at 8 would have to be correspondingly'long or large in diameter. It may, in such a case be more convenient to use a pair of vessels 8 and 8 inplace of thesingle vessel-8, these two chambers being together calculated to have the'pro'per capacity. In such a case, chambers 8 and 8 may I gether adiacent the top and the bottom thereof by pipe connections 19 and 20, one of the vessels being. providedadjacent its upper end with a connection 15' to the atmosphere provided with a valve 16. suction line 2 and the discharge line 4 may be connected to the lower portion of one of the vessels such as 8' in the same manner as has already been described, in connection with the first form of the device.

I consider the form of device in which a plurality of chambers are used to be equivalent to that in which a single chamber is used and it will be understood that a plurality of connected chambers are included within the term a vacuum chamber,or a

The

be connected to- It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular apparatus which has been particularly described, but that the same is as broad asis indicated by the accompanying claims.

- What I claim is:

1. In pumping apparatus, the combination of a pump having a suction line and a discharge line, a vacuum chamber, and means for connecting at will said chamber with the discharge side of the pump and for closing said discharge line beyond the connection of said chamber with the discharge side of the pump, when a partial vacuum exists in said chamber, to cause air in the suction line and pump to flow into said chamber to prime the pump.

2. In pumping apparatus, the combina tion of a pump having a suction line and a discharge line, a vacuum chamber, means for connecting said chamber with the suction side of the pump, at will, when the pump is in operation soas to reduce air pressure in said chamber, and means for connecting said chamber with the discharge side of the pump, at will, when a partial vacuum exists in said chamber, to cause air in the suction line and pump to flow into said chamber to prime the pump.

3. In pumping apparatus, the combination of a pump having a suction line and a discharge line, the latter having a valve therein, a closed chamber, a valved pipe connection between said suction line and chamber, and a valved pipe connection between said discharge line and chamber, said parts being so arrangedthat air pressure may be reduced in said chamber by said pump through said first connection, said second connection being closed, and, said discharge line valve and first connection being closed and second connection open, with a partial vacuum in said chamber, air may be caused to flow from said suction line and pump to said chamber.

f1. In pumping apparatus, the combination of a pump having a suction line and a discharge line, a vacuum chamber, and means for connecting, at will, said chamber with the discharge side of the pump and for closing said discharge line beyond the connection of said chamber with the discharge side of the pump, when a partial vacuum exists in said chamber, said chamber having a capacity such that upon such connection the vacuum therein will be sufiicient to draw water through the suction line to prime said.

therein, a closed chamber located at a higher level than said pump, means for connecting at will the lower part of said chamber with the suction side of said pump, so that the latter may exhaust Water or air from said chamber, and means for connectin at will the lower part of said chamber with the discharge side of said pump, said chamber having a capacity such that upon such connection the vacuum in said chamber will be sufficient to draw water through the suction line and into said pump.

6 The method of priming a pump, which comprises, providing a closed chamber in which the air pressure has been reduced, and, when the pump is to be primed, connecting the discharge side of the pump only with said chamber, the source of liquid being connected through the suction line to the pump, the capacity pf the chamber, and its degree of exhaustion, being so calculated as to sufflee to cause the air in the suction line and pump to flow into the chamber, and water from the source to flow through the suction line into the pump.

7. The method of priming a pump, which comprises, creating a partial vacuum by the use of the pump while the latter is in operation, by connecting the suction side of the pump to a suitable chamber, then closing all connections to the chamber to maintain the vacuum, and thereafter, when the pump is to be primed, connecting the discharge side of the pump to the chamber, only, the capacity of the chamber, and its degree of exhaustion, being so calculated as to sufiice to cause the air in the suction line and pump to flow into the chamber, and water from the source of flow through the suction line into the pump.

Signed at Ponce, Porto Rico, this eighth day of April A. D. 1921.

Louis ANTONSANTI. 

